Wilbourn
A masculine name derived from the English surname, possibly meaning "willow stream" or "well-borne".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Wilbourn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Wilbourn today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wilbourn births was 1927 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wilbourn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wilbourn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1927
7 babies that year
Average age
-
1927 SSA rank
#3,771
Tracked since 1923
Popularity
Wilbourn: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Wilbourn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Wilbourn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 13 | 0 | 13 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Wilbourn
The name Wilbourn has its roots in the Old English language, originating from the Anglo-Saxon era of Britain. It is believed to be derived from the combination of two words: "Wil," meaning "will" or "desire," and "burna," which translates to "stream" or "brook." This suggests that the name initially carried the meaning of "one who desires a stream" or "one who lives near a stream."
During the medieval period, the name Wilbourn appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, primarily in regions of central and southern England. It was often spelled differently, with variations such as "Wilburne," "Wilbourne," or "Wylborne." These spelling variations were common due to the lack of standardized orthography at the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wilbourn can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is mentioned as "Wilburne," referring to a landowner or tenant in the county of Wiltshire.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Wilbourn. One of the earliest was Sir John Wilbourn (c. 1320-1389), a English knight and landowner who served as a member of Parliament during the reign of Edward III. Another notable figure was William Wilbourn (1550-1621), an English composer and organist who contributed to the development of early Baroque music.
In the 18th century, James Wilbourn (1720-1799) was a prominent merchant and philanthropist in the city of Bristol, known for his charitable contributions to the local community. During the same period, Samuel Wilbourn (1745-1823) was a respected clergyman and author who published several works on religious topics.
Moving into the 19th century, one of the most notable individuals with the name Wilbourn was John Wilbourn Parsons (1810-1887), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Virginia between 1863 and 1865. He played a significant role in the political landscape of the Civil War era.
While the name Wilbourn has its origins in Old English and gained prominence in various parts of England throughout history, its usage has also extended to other parts of the world, particularly in regions influenced by British colonization and migration.
People
Wilbourn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wilbourn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Wilbourn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wilbourn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wilbourn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Wilbourn a common name?
We classify Wilbourn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wilbourn most popular?
The single biggest year for Wilbourn was 1927, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wilbourn is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Wilbourn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wilbourn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wilbourn in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Wilbourn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wilbourn in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Wilbourn can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Wilbourn?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.